Drug makers are sick and tired of coming under attack for high prices.

The Geisinger Health Plan, run by one of the nation’s top-rated health care organizations, foresees medical costs increasing next year by 7.5 percent for people buying insurance under the Affordable Care Act.

As health care consolidation accelerates nationwide, a new study shows that hospital prices in two of California’s largest health systems were 25 percent higher than at other hospitals around the state.

Five blood tests were performed in March at Torrance Memorial Medical Center. The hospital charged the patient’s insurer, Blue Shield of California, $408. The patient was responsible for paying $269.42.

Gov. Jerry Brown Friday signed first-in-the-nation legislation requesting federal approval for the state’s health insurance exchange to sell policies to immigrants living in California illegally.

Obama administration officials want to limit use of short-term health insurance in the United States to periods of three months or less.